On July 6, 2026, President Donald Trump stated that he is the most-followed person on TikTok, claiming to have surpassed Taylor Swift. Trump made these remarks during a press event but did not provide evidence to support his assertion. He stated, "The new numbers just came out. You know who the No. 1 person in TikTok is by far? Trump, me. I’m No. 1. … Taylor Swift was number 11."
However, according to Social Blade, a website that tracks social media statistics, Trump is not among the top users on TikTok. The current top three accounts are Khabane Lane, Charli D’Amelio, and MrBeast, with Trump having 16.6 million followers compared to Lane's 162.3 million. Swift, with 33.3 million followers, is also not in the top 10.
Trump argued that his popularity on the platform contradicts claims of Chinese influence, stating that his account promotes pro-American and anti-communist messages. He referenced ongoing national security concerns regarding TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. In 2024, Congress passed a bill to ban TikTok unless it was sold to a non-Chinese entity, but a $14 billion deal was finalized in January 2026 to create a new American entity to manage TikTok's operations in the U.S.
Trump approved this joint-venture plan and has expressed support for TikTok, stating that it played a role in his 2024 election campaign. He emphasized that American companies now control TikTok's operations, asserting its influence in the U.S.